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Duchy of Fryslân
Timeline: The Kalmar Union
Flag Coat of Arms
Flag Coat of Arms
Capital
(and largest city)
Grönnen (Groningen)
Language Frisian
Duke Stephan III
Prime Minister Peter Uiterwijk
Population 1,300,850 
Independence 1738
Currency FYG

The Duchy of Fryslân ( Frisia, Fraschlönj, Fräislound ) is a small constitutional monarchy in the Holy Roman Empire. It lies north of Luxembourg and to the west of Denmark and Münster-Westphalia. It also owns the Austral Islands or 'South Frisian Islands' in the south-central Roasjoinn, which it administers as Frisian Polynesia. Its capital city is Grönnen (or Groningen in Dutch) and it has a population of around 1.3 million.

Frisian is the only official language of Fryslân, but Dutch and German are also spoken as minority languages. The native language of the South Frisian Islanders has all but ceased to to be used.

Fryslân uses the Frisian Guilder (FYG, Fryske Gûne).

History[]

An independent kingdom until the 15th century when the reduced Duchy of Frisia was made an Imperial march, and was made a Luxembourgian fief in 1463 after its native dynasty died out. After the War of Anglian Succession the duchy was handed to Anglia to make up for the loss of its other continental properties.

Anglia's isolation from European affairs sat uneasily with the Frisians and the duchy finally rebelled in 1649 during the Fifty Years War, angry that Anglia was doing nothing to help their co-religionists in the northern empire. Kalmar helped preventing it falling to Luxembourg during the final stages of the war.

A poorly timed alliance with Luxembourg led indirectly to the Luxembourg-Anglian War (1723-1738) which saw occupation by Anglia, however it regained its independence at the close of the war.

Fryslân has passed through periods of alternate Kalmar and Luxembourgian dominance, but has kept its independence by playing these elements off each other. It has followed Luxembourg's lead in establishing trading forts in India and has co-operated with Denmark extensively in the Roasjoinn.

Government[]

Fryslân's current head of state is Duke Stephan III. His Prime Minister is Peter Uiterwijk. General elections are carried out every five years. It was one of the first countries of Europe to grant votes for women.

Frisian Polynesia[]

Frisian Polynesia
Timeline: The Kalmar Union
Flag Coat of Arms
Flag Coat of Arms
Capital
(and largest city)
Tubuai
Language Frisian
Duke Stephan III
Governor-General Jaap Hoekstra
Population 5,410 
Currency FYG

As part of the Kalmar-Fryslân Treaty of 1916 Denmark ceded the Austral Island chain (the southernmost part of its Polynesian islands) to Fryslân. The islanders are traditionally peaceful and have accepted Frisian rule with little fuss.

The islands are remote, sparsely populated and much of the economy is geared towards the resupply of Frisian and other Imperial ships operating in the southern Roasjoinn. Despite their apparent lack of worth, Fryslân is proud of its Roasjoinn holdings and November 15th is celebrated as 'Polynesia Day' in the country. Many notable and wealthy Frisians make the trip to Frisian Polynesia at least once and the excellent literacy and mortality rates of the islanders are a direct result of the donations of the investment made in them.

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